A cause for concern

THE murder of Balochistan National Movement leader Rasool Baksh Mengal, whose body was found hanging from a tree in Bela, calls for strong condemnation. While the party's spokesman has said this is a part of the campaign to eliminate Baloch leadership, those behind this deadly game are undoubtedly posing a big threat to the unity of the federation and must be brought to book. The worrying thing is that there is a pattern to such killings. A number of Baloch leaders have been targeted in the past. Just a few months back, three of them were gunned down, that led to violence in the province. On the other hand, attacks on settlers in Balochistan have multiplied. More and more people are being killed. While restoring calm to the province should be the top priority of the government, it must simultaneously gird up its loins to resolve the Balochistan crisis. The PPP-led government tendered apologies, but has failed to go beyond that. It must take concrete steps to remove the sense of grievance among the people in the province.